Research Guides: Architecture: Reference (Dictionaries and Encyclopedias)

LibrarySearch offers a streamlined interface for finding books and other media that combines the collections of UO Libraries and Summit libraries.

Why Dictionaries and Encyclopedias?

Dictionaries and encyclopedias are great places to find fact-based information about your topic. This might include dates, time periods, family information, related artists or artwork or movements, and/or media used, among other things.

Dictionaries and encyclopedias help establish context for your topic. As you read entries, pay attention to the words being used, and then use these key terms for searching for articles, books, and videos.

Key Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Includes the Grove Dictionary of Art, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, Oxford Companion to Western Art, and Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Plus images from various sources.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Includes Oxford Dictionary of Architecture, Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Dictionary of Modern Design, Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture, Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture, Oxford Companion to Architecture, Oxford Dictionary of Christian Art & Architecture.

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture by James Stevens Curl
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9780198606789
Publication Date: 2007
Containing over 6,000 entries from Aalto to ziggurat, this is the most comprehensive and up-to-date dictionary of architecture available. Beautifully illustrated and written in a clear and concise style, it covers all periods of Western architectural history, from ancient times to the presentday. It also includes concise biographies of leading architects, from Brunelleschi and Imhotep to Le Corbusier and Richard Rogers.
Historical Dictionary of Architecture by Allison Lee Palmer
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9781442263086
Publication Date: 2016
This dictionary provides a historical overview of the major architectural developments and styles, building materials and types, major structures and locations, sites and architects.
Building Construction Illustrated by Francis D. K. Ching
Call Number: Online
ISBN: 9781118458341
Publication Date: 2014
The classic visual guide to the basics of building construction.

Design Library Help

Recommended Resource

Visual Dictionary Online: Architecture
Free visual reference resource.